


Getcha Head in the Game

by mikaylamazing



Category: Andi Mack (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Different First Meeting, Alternate Universe - High School, Angst, First Dates, First Kiss, Fluff, M/M, Not Canon Compliant
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-03
Updated: 2019-08-10
Packaged: 2019-10-03 09:00:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 11,132
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17281097
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mikaylamazing/pseuds/mikaylamazing
Summary: TJ's teammates would kill him if they found out that this is the reason he sucks right now, not because he's gay - they've all known that about him basically since day one - but because he's fallen victim to the enemy. And they're losing because of it.orCyrus is a cheerleader for a rival school and TJ gets distracted very easily





	1. Chapter 1

TJ is fucking up tonight. He really can't afford to fuck up tonight, not when they have a six-game winning streak with no losses. It's the best any of the school's sports teams have done in years, and as captain of the team, TJ feels like he's 98% responsible for how well they do in every game. But tonight the pressure is palpable and it seems to intensify with every passing minute. 

This team is always a difficult one for TJ, not because they're necessarily good (they're average at best in TJ's mind) but because it's very easy for TJ to get distracted. As if on cue, he walks out on the other side of the gym; the cutest cheerleader TJ's ever seen in his life, one who just happens to be cheering for the opposing team. His eyes follow the boy as he goes through their cheer routine, stumbling over his own feet once or twice. He's not the most-skilled person on the squad by a long stretch of the imagination, but he more than makes up for it with his enthusiasm. And if TJ's being honest, his occasional bouts of clumsiness only make him more endearing. 

TJ's teammates would kill him if they found out that this is the reason he sucks right now, not because he's gay - they've all known that about him basically since day one - but because he's fallen victim to the enemy. And they're losing because of it.

The last time they went up against this same team, he asked around and managed to learn the boy's name: Cyrus Goodman. Everyone he asked gave him weird looks, and he hasn't really been able to stop thinking about him since. He likes the way the name 'Cyrus' sounds in his voice, and he loves watching Cyrus move around the gym, if only Ethan could move a little to the right so he could-

"We called timeout for a reason, Kippen. Get your head in the game." TJ shakes his head, followed by his limbs. He can do this. He can do this.

\---

He can't do this. He can't find his footing, all of his movements awkward and contrived, and he can feel the glare from his coach from meters away. 

"Kippen!" he hears someone yell, but he can't figure out where it's coming from for the life of him, but he turns and suddenly the ball is in his hands. And he forgets what to do. He's been playing basketball since he could walk, and he can confidently say he's never blanked like this before. But there's a totally valid explanation for it all because he's facing the visiting team's bleachers and he makes eye contact with Cyrus for the first time ever. 

TJ pauses. He just stands there as time moves slower, almost coming to a complete stop. Cyrus lifts his hand to wave. He waves at TJ. He waves and smiles, biting his lip. TJ can officially say he's never seen anything more adorable. He can also say he's never made it easier for someone to steal the ball right out of his hands. 

\---

They lose. It's only by a couple points and comes as a surprise to no one, and especially not TJ. He's the one to blame and nobody is afraid to say it as they send glares in his direction on their way to the locker room. They loudly discuss their plans to hang out after they're done. TJ is pointedly not invited, and he understands. He wouldn't really be up for a night of roasting, questioning why he's the team captain. He waits for everyone to leave before finally making his way out of the locker room, and he's surprised by what he sees.

Cyrus is standing there, leaning against the wall like he's waiting for someone, but he's almost positive the place is empty with the exception of him and maybe the coach. He looks around the hallway before looking back at Cyrus, who is looking right back at him.

"Why are you still here?" TJ asks. The words almost get caught in his throat, and he can feel how he's about to embarrass himself in front of the cute guy. It wouldn't be the first time. Cyrus smiles at him regardless, and really, that's what got TJ into this mess in the first place.

"I was waiting for you. I wanted to tell you that you played a good game." TJ scoffs. He can't help it. He's torn between flattery because Cyrus is taking the time to talk to him at all and anger because-

"I mean, we lost. So not really." And there's no doubt about it. He sounds angry, and by the look on his face, Cyrus thinks so too. He just can't help it. He really didn't think he could be completely undone by the boy standing in front of him to the point of costing them the game.

"Yeah, I know. I was there. But it was really close." Cyrus is treading lightly, and TJ really appreciates it. In hindsight, he probably shouldn't have been so harsh with his words. Cyrus is just trying to be nice and he imagines he's not giving a great first impression. He opens his mouth to respond but Cyrus beats him to it.

"I guess I'm also here to apologize." And that comes as a surprise. TJ can't come up with anything that Cyrus should have to apologize for, surely not to him, personally.

"For what?" 

"It's kinda my fault you guys lost," Cyrus says, but he's noticeably less confident, retreating back into himself. He's not making eye contact with TJ anymore. Is he saying what TJ thinks he's saying? Is he being called out for staring right now? TJ collects himself before his face can start bursting into flames.

"Oh is it?" TJ asks. There's a teasing lilt in his voice and Cyrus starts blushing, like maybe he was wrong about the whole situation. That blush is so cute that TJ just can't help but make a fool of himself.

"I guess you're right. It's kinda hard to pay attention to a game when a cute boy is distracting you with his smile." Cyrus smiles at that, and TJ really wasn't lying. He could stare at that smile all day and he's not ashamed of it.

"Well, I'm sorry to have been so distracting. Do you think I could make it up to you with a milkshake?" TJ doesn't even have to think about that one. 

"Hmm I'm not sure if just a milkshake is gonna cut it." This is the most roundabout way anyone has ever asked anyone on a date ever, but Cyrus doesn't seem to mind if his growing smile is any indicator.

"I think I have a couple more ideas... if you have the time."

"I think I do."

  
  



	2. First Date

They’re at The Spoon, and TJ is pretty sure it’s a date. Neither of them has said that word in particular, but it feels like a date. Cyrus keeps looking at him with this look he can’t quite pin down and it’s driving him a little crazy.

“So. You were pretty confident back there. I’d even say a little presumptuous,” TJ says as Cyrus sips his chocolate milkshake. He smiles with the straw still nestled between his lips. TJ doesn’t think it’s fair that he can be cute without even trying. 

“I wouldn’t go that far. I didn’t just assume you liked me. I had my suspicions which were supported by solid evidence.” TJ raises his eyebrow at that but says nothing, waiting for him to continue. “You should probably try to be a little more subtle when asking a ton of people for the name of the guy you have a crush on.”

“It wasn’t a crush, I didn’t even know you then,” TJ argues, though he’s not sure that makes him look any better.

“Oh? Then what was it?” TJ thinks that over for a moment.

“I just thought you were cute. Is that so hard to believe? Have you ever looked at yourself?” TJ knows he’s getting into the realm of rambling but he can’t help it; the words just keep coming out of his mouth, but it seems to be working if the blush on Cyrus’s cheeks are anything to go by. 

“That is definitely not the popular opinion, but I still appreciate it nonetheless,” he responds, shaking his head slightly as he looks down at the table.

“That’s because people are idiots.” TJ says this with confidence he doesn’t normally have when talking to boys, and that’s just how things are going, he supposes. He has no idea what it is about this guy he only officially met like an hour ago that makes him like this, but he kinda likes it.

“I don’t think that’s entirely correct, but it is making me smile, so if that’s what you were going for, I’d say mission accomplished.”

“Hey, I know what I want and I’m not ashamed.”

“And what is it you want?” The energy of their conversation shift suddenly, and TJ has to take a few seconds to think about that. He wants the team to make it to the state championship, and he wants them to win. He wants to finally get a decent grade in a math class. He wants to feel like his parents actually support in him in the things he does. But more than anything else, he wants to see Cyrus again. They haven’t even gone home yet and it’s still all TJ wants. 

“I think this is pretty nice, just this, right now.” And that is the right thing to say; Cyrus lets him know.

“I agree, we should do it more often.” Then TJ laughs, a little at himself and a little at the situation he’s gotten himself into. 

“You know, I’ll be honest, I never thought I’d end up being this much of a high school cliche. I mean, a jock and a cheerleader? Come on.” Cyrus finds himself laughing too. TJ really likes his laugh. If he spends anymore time with him, soon it’ll be easier to give a list of what he doesn’t like about him. He’s struggling to come up with even one thing as it is. 

“I’d say we’re more than a little unconventional. Like a new take on a classic. After all, we are technically enemies, or whatever.” Cyrus says it jokingly, but it’s the first time that night where TJ is actually stopped dead in his tracks. He’s been having a great time tonight, so great that he kinda forgot that they go to different schools. So great that he forgot they lost tonight’s game for a reason. How would the rest of the team react to this new relationship? The rest of the school? How long would it take for word to get around? 

Suddenly, he’s tense and lost in his thoughts and it’s obvious that Cyrus can sense a change in the atmosphere as his smile becomes more nervous and his eyes shift around.

“Hey, I was just joking. It’s just high school sports, really not that big of a deal. This isn’t Romeo and Juliet; nobody is gonna die or anything.” TJ knows that. In his heart of hearts, he does. It’s just-

“It is just sports. But it’s kind of all I’m good at,” he says sadly. He doesn’t think it’s too far from the truth, but Cyrus looks at him skeptically, urging him to go on.

“My team won’t be happy when they find out about… this,” he gestures between them, “whatever this is.” Cyrus contemplates that for a moment, chewing on his lip and tapping his fingers against the table. 

“Does that mean this ends here? We don’t see each other anymore?” And again, despite only having known each other for the better part of an hour, TJ doesn’t want that. He looks at Cyrus again and sees how disappointed he looks, and TJ  _ really  _ doesn’t want that. He’s thinking, trying to come up with a solution, anything that will make this work, and then-

“How about we just… keep this a secret? Just until the season ends, I promise,” TJ says, all of it coming out quickly because he knows how it might sound, and he swears it’s not because of the gay thing. Everyone knows he’s gay, that’s fine. He’s instead found himself in a situation about twenty times stupider, but he mentally crosses his fingers as he waits for Cyrus to say something.

“I  _ have  _ always been interested in undercover work,” Cyrus says, finally, and TJ breathes out a laugh as Cyrus peers around at their surroundings in the diner. He’s such a dork, and TJ is so, so lucky.

“I will say,” Cyrus begins, breaking TJ out of his reverie, “you will have to work on your acting to make it seem like you’re not in love with me.” TJ actually splutters over that. He trips over his words for a solid ten seconds, his face heating up before he can stand his ground.

“I’m sure I’ll be just fine, thank you very much,” he says, crossing his arms. Cyrus’s giggles tell him he’s not very convincing. He didn’t think he was. 

“If you say so,” Cyrus says leadingly, standing up to leave and beginning to walk out. TJ wars with himself for a few seconds before bolting from his seat to walk beside him.

“Okay, I didn’t say we had to start now.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another short little thing for this AU. The next part is definitely going to be longer and I think there'll be four or five chapters in total.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> TJ and Cyrus navigate a secret first date

They go out for hot chocolate. It’s the only thing that makes sense, according to Cyrus who thought the milkshakes from last time were a good idea in theory, but maybe not so much in practice when it’s below freezing outside. It all works out because TJ knows where to get the best hot chocolate in the entire world probably, and he’s ready for Cyrus’s mind to be blown. 

“I had no idea dating you would come with so many perks. Exclusive, underground hot chocolate dealers are the absolute perfect way into my heart.” Cyrus is joking around with him. TJ knows this, but he still can’t help but feel giddy and light-headed at the word ‘dating’. It’s mostly because he really didn’t think he’d ever get this far. 

“It will literally change your world when you take the first sip,” TJ says, guiding them further down the street until he can see it; the tiny shop nestled between two larger ones, something you’d miss if you weren’t really looking for it. The lights are low, but definitely on, and as soon as he opens the door they’re enveloped in warmth and the mingling scent of vanilla, cinnamon, and chocolate. 

“This place is so cute. I love it,” Cyrus says as he takes in the atmosphere of the cafe, and TJ agrees. It’s a big part of why he even comes here, the other two parts being the amazing hot chocolate - obviously - and the fact that nobody else from school has seemed to figure out that it even exists. 

They order their hot chocolate and sit down, where TJ commits to the same mistake that he makes every time: sipping when the stuff is still the temperature of molten lava. He bites down and flexes his fingers, trying desperately to look like he’s not a complete fool who just burned his tongue for being impatient, and it works until Cyrus asks

“Did you just burn your tongue?” He’s very clearly trying to hold in his laughter, but it’s not really working. TJ maintains his composure and grits his teeth through the pain. It’s not that bad, but he can definitely feel it.

“No. What kind of idiot burns their tongue on hot chocolate they got less than a minute ago when it’s super hot? Who does that? Not me.” Cyrus looks at him with a single eyebrow raised, probably about to say something flirty - which TJ wouldn’t be able to handle - until his eyes widen and he pushes TJ’s head down closer to the table.

“What’re you-”

“Don’t panic, but I’m pretty sure one of the guys from your team is here.” TJ doesn’t turn around despite his initial instinct to do so. If the back of his head is all that can be seen from the door, he can’t be identified. TJ’s never been so grateful to look like a generic white boy. 

“Tell me when he goes up to order. While he’s distracted, we make a run for it,” TJ says in a whisper. Their faces are mere inches away from each other, but there are more important things to think about, TJ supposes. He takes one extra glance, just in case.

“Go now.” They stand quickly and do everything but run out of the cafe. Cyrus actually manages to be inconspicuous, while TJ knows his own performance leaves something to be desired. He struggles to leave while also sneaking a peek at the guy, standing very close to a girl TJ doesn’t know, but they get out, and now they’re safe. TJ can breathe. And he can understand just how stupid that was.

“Leave it to Jake to ruin our date with  _ his _ date. Asshole.” Cyrus laughs at him, but joins their empty hands together, taking a tentative sip of his drink, way more careful than TJ was.

“He didn’t ruin it. We’re still together and having a good time. You’re a really dramatic guy, you know that?”

“I am not. How did you manage to recognize Jake anyway? He didn’t even play this last game.”

“He’s cute. Even from the bench.” It sounds nonchalant, but TJ can see the mischievous look on Cyrus’s face when he says it. TJ has never thought of himself as a jealous person, though he supposes he’s never really had much to be jealous over. He knows Cyrus isn’t lying. He’s known Jake for years now, and he’s known for almost as long that he is conventionally attractive; not really his type, but attractive nonetheless. 

“I’m sure he’s still in there. You could go back and find him,” TJ says. He tries to sound like he’s joking, but he’s not sure it comes through as the syllables get stuck in his throat. Cyrus rolls his eyes, and that’s when he  _ knows  _ he’s being ridiculous. 

“I think he was a little busy, you know, dating and being heterosexual. Besides, you’re way cuter. And you like me, which is a really nice bonus.” TJ is going to reply with something totally clever and funny but a voice in the distance scares him. It’s not directed at them, or anyone in the vicinity as it turns out to  be a guy talking on the phone way louder than necessary. Neither of them really thought about how stressful being exposed to the general public is, especially when you can’t be seen together. 

“We need to be more sneaky. I suggest wacky disguises next time,” Cyrus says when they reach a more empty part of the sidewalk.

“Won’t wacky disguises bring even more attention to us? Won’t that completely defeat the purpose of disguises when people are analyzing us in detail?” TJ asks, challenging Cyrus just a little bit.

“It’ll be like reverse psychology. We’ll look so wacky that people won’t dare to look at us.”

“Wow, do you have a more detailed plan of action? I don’t wanna ruin anything. Maybe we should synchronize our watches.”

“You don’t wear a watch, so maybe start with that. I’ll have an unnamed courier bring you a document with coordinates of the place we can meet up to create our aliases.” It’s a lot of words, and admittedly, TJ couldn’t understand about half of what was being said, too distracted by Cyrus’s adorable face. 

“I could get a watch.” They’re walking in the direction of Cyrus’s house. TJ walked him home after their last date - not date? hangout? milkshake time? - and it just feels natural to do it again, despite the fact that his own house is in the other direction. TJ swings their hands as they walk and feels a small spike of fear hit him when he realizes this is only their first real date, but he already can’t imagine not doing this on a regular basis. 

When they arrive in front of Cyrus’s house, TJ yanks his hand away, more aggressively than he intends, but his hand is sweaty and now he doesn’t know what to do. He’s seen too many stupid teen movies and he feels like this is the part where they’re supposed to kiss. Is it too soon? His body doesn’t seem to get the memo that he’s still thinking on it before he’s turning to face Cyrus, pressing his lips to his cheek. It’s awkward because TJ has never done anything like it, and it’s just a cheek kiss. He feels a little pathetic until he sees the smile that takes over Cyrus’s entire face. He still can’t stop himself from talking way too much.

“Sorry if that was like, weird or bad. I don’t really… know how. Yeah…”

“You are so sweet,” Cyrus says, and if he’s half as smitten as he sounds, TJ thinks he might be alright. They both look to the house, seeing the way the curtains dramatically fall closed, and know their date has officially come to an end.

“Well, until we meet again, 007,” TJ says as a farewell, only feeling a little dorky. Cyrus grips his hand one more time.

“Until we meet again.”

\---

TJ quickly decides he needs to come up with ways their next date can be less… stressful. It’s a surprisingly difficult task, especially with his one safe place being compromised by a straight boy. He eventually comes to the unfortunate conclusion that the only place they won’t be revealed to the outside world are his own home. Would that be weird? Do they not know each other well enough for that? What would they even do? 

In typical TJ fashion, he worries about this needlessly, unable to think of much else. He sure as hell doesn’t come up with an alternative date idea, not one that doesn’t end badly. Apparently his worry is so palpable that it’s present via text, because a couple days later Cyrus asks if he’s okay. 

TJ doesn’t know how to explain that he has an impending fear that Cyrus will get bored dealing with him, realizing he’s not as interesting and fun as he seems on the surface. So he avoids the subject altogether and instead calls Cyrus for the first time. It’s a split-second decision that he can’t explain, but Cyrus greets him with a confused “Hi, TJ?” and everything spills out of him. He should probably work on that.

“Do you wanna come over to my house?” He waits two seconds. He knows it’s not enough time to let Cyrus process what he said, and formulate a reply, but TJ’s being swallowed by nervous energy. He absently wonders where his overconfidence went and if he could possibly get it back some time soon.

“I know it seems kinda weird, and maybe boring, but I really wanna spend time with you and I don’t know anywhere else we could go where we wouldn’t be constantly looking over our shoulders. I could make dinner, maybe, kind of? I don’t know how to do a lot, but we could watch movies and just- I don’t know-”

“TJ.” Cyrus saying his name saws his train of thought clean in half. He’s uncertain about Cyrus’s tone, but a muffled giggle comes through.

“It’s fine. I really don’t care what we do. I wasn’t lying when I said I like you. Besides, in another month and a half we’ll be able to go wherever we want,” Cyrus reassures him. It’s enough.  _ Cyrus likes me _ . He has to keep saying it to himself.  _ Cyrus can see himself still wanting to be around me months from now.  _ It’s a comfort for sure. He breathes again, nearly choking on the air.

“Great. Cool. Does Friday work?” It does. They decide to see each other then, and while TJ generally can’t wait to get through the school week, he’s never wanted to see Friday more than he does right now. 

“I hope you know I  _ will  _ judge you on your movie taste.” TJ thinks that’s a pretty small price to pay for them to be together for hours. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i keep adding more to this whoops.  
> follow me at jockgaytj.tumblr.com


	4. Movie Dates

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry for the delay! college literally sucks the life out of me! i hope this is okay  
> follow me on tumblr @jockgaytj

TJ spends more time than he needs to cleaning and making sure that everything is perfect when Cyrus comes over. He doesn’t know what to expect from this date, but he does know that he doesn’t want Cyrus to be bored or disappointed, so he watches tons of videos and reads dozens of recipes trying to come up with something cool to make for dinner when he realizes most of them are beyond his very limited skill set. He settles on a very basic spaghetti, something he assumes he’ll be able to manage with minimal fuck ups. He’s mostly right. 

TJ lights a candle for the dining table before he can second guess himself, and it turns out to be a pretty good call because when they walk into the room together, Cyrus comments on how romantic it is. They sit down beside each other. TJ can breathe. His heart is racing and he hates the movies for making all of this seem easy when it’s anything but. He says as much and it’s met with a giggle.

“You really don’t need to worry. You’re doing a great job, trust me,” Cyrus says. He runs the tip of his finger over the inside of TJ’s wrist and smiles the sweetest smile TJ’s ever seen in his life. He can feel his fate being sealed the longer they maintain eye contact, but the spell is broken just as quickly as it came over him when he hears footsteps approaching. He puts some distance between himself and Cyrus but it’s too late for anything to be done about the conspicuous candle still burning between them.

When his mother catches sight of the two of them, TJ likely completely red in the face, she just looks from one boy to the other, then back again, ending on her son.

“What’s going on?” she asks, not a single emotion coming through her words. If she suspects anything it doesn’t show on her face, not even for a split second. TJ goes into panic mode regardless. 

“Science! Science experiment about… candles… burning. We’re observing!” he says, louder than he needs to, almost trying to convince himself. Cyrus gives him a look of thinly-veiled concern, while his mother looks thoroughly unconvinced but unwilling to question it. This, on top of his erratic behavior the entire week prior, does not make a good case for TJ, but he keeps his resolve until she nods slowly.

“Okay… I’m heading off to work now. You’ll be fine?”

“I always am. No worries.” His eyes follow her as she picks up her keys and leaves the room, not saying a word until he hears the front door close.

“Sorry about that. I thought she already left. I should’ve made sure.”

“It’s fine, really. Are we not telling your mom?” Cyrus’s tone is indecipherable. TJ can’t be sure what he’s thinking; they haven’t known each other for very long, but he already feels like he’s losing. He swallows deeply.

“My mom is a little prone to gossip. I think it would be best if we just keep it to ourselves until the season is over,” TJ says, only realizing how bad it sounds once the words are already out of his mouth. “If that’s okay with you?” 

Cyrus nods, his jaw softening a little, but TJ can still sense tension. It’s not the way he wants the night to start out, so he goes in with distractions as quickly as he can. He talks about his day, asking Cyrus about his. They’re able to move on pretty quickly as soon as TJ mentions starting dinner. He makes his way towards the stove, reading instructions from a recipe he found on the internet. He knows it would probably be a whole lot easier if he just used store-bought, ready-made stuff, but he really wanted to impress Cyrus. Although, now that he’s thinking about it, he supposes the only way he can really impress him is if he does everything right. 

“So what, are you some kind of kitchen wizard?” Cyrus asks, joking, obviously. The tone of his voice makes TJ blush as Cyrus wraps his arms around his midsection, burying his face in TJ’s shoulder. 

“I wouldn’t go that far.” TJ tries to get started, but he soon realizes he’s not exactly sure what he’s even supposed to start with. Cyrus must be able to read the confused desperation on his face.

“Do you need my help with anything?” he asks, carefully like he knows TJ wanted to be able to do this by himself. And he does. But he would also like to be able to eat some time tonight, and he’s aware that won’t happen without Cyrus helping him in some way.

However, TJ soon finds that he definitely gave Cyrus too much credit as he also doesn’t seem to know what to do, aside from very basic steps, void of any specifics. So, they’re both verifiable disasters in the kitchen, making a bigger mess than either of them was expecting to, but in the end, they produce something that’s probably edible.

“Probably? Come on, you have to have more faith in us after the 90 minutes we just spent on this.” Cyrus has a few spots of tomato sauce on his chin from when it bubbled up and splattered and TJ is having a hard time not staring at them, focused on the proximity to his lips.

“Well, the only way we can know for sure is if we try it,” TJ offers leadingly. As much as he wants to impress Cyrus, he’s also not a fan of eating disgusting food. At all. 

“You’re right. You can go first, and I’ll cheer you on. You know I’m good at that,” Cyrus responds, taking a couple steps back and clapping his hands together. He’d normally argue with literally anyone else, suggest they play rock, paper, scissors; best of three. Instead, TJ steps up to the pot, twirls a forkful of pasta, and brings it to his mouth despite it being ever so slightly too hot.

“Good,” he says, still chewing, which he knows is bad etiquette, but he’s genuinely surprised in the best way possible. And so is Cyrus if his slack-jawed face is any indication. Cyrus quickly takes his own fork, copying TJ’s motions until he’s also tasting in disbelief.

“Did we actually just make something good?” 

“We didn’t even write down what we did!” Cyrus’s eyes widen in despair for a moment before licking the sauce off his fork.

“Well, if no one else in the world can ever experience this, I’m glad I at least got to experience it with you,” Cyrus says. TJ smiles through his second bite. They stand there in front of the stove, eating from the pot instead of bowls on the table and TJ thinks that it feels undeniably Them. They haven’t even known each other for very long, but TJ thinks they already have things that belong to them and nobody else. The stove spaghetti is officially a part of that list, he decides. They’re in the middle of a nonsensical conversation, talking between bites of food when their forks clink together. 

The sound draws their attention away from whatever Cyrus was saying, both of their eyes on the tangle of spaghetti joining them together. Cyrus tries to lift his fork, laughing awkwardly, and TJ can’t help his mind from wandering down very specific Lady and the Tramp-esque avenues of thought; things that could occur from this predicament. He doesn’t think he’s gone a single day without blushing since he’s met Cyrus, but this definitely the worst it’s ever been. He starts choking at the thought of kissing Cyrus, especially now that they’re alone and don’t have to worry about watching eyes. He could do it. It could happen. He’s still choking.

“Oh my god, TJ are you okay?” Cyrus asks, dropping everything and cautiously placing his hand on TJ’s back. He manages to catch his breath after a few seconds 

“I’m fine, I’m fine. No worries, seriously,” he says, sounding slightly strained. He thinks about cracking a joke but thinks better of it when he can feel his throat closing up again. 

“Let’s go watch a movie,” he suggests, sounding just a little too excited for watching some Netflix on a Saturday night, but at this point he’d do anything to distract himself from Cyrus and his lips. He guides Cyrus to the living room couch, blowing out the ultimately useless candle on their way out. When they sit down, TJ makes sure that they’re close, but not too close. He doesn’t want to make Cyrus uncomfortable in any way, though he soon realizes this doesn’t matter at all as Cyrus cuddles up to TJ’s side, interlacing their fingers. 

“Is this okay?” Cyrus asks, looking up at TJ through his lashes, mostly confident but with a hint of insecurity coming through. It’s more than okay, TJ wants to say. It’s one of the best things that has ever happened in his short, boring, small-town life. But instead of saying all of that, he settles on “Yeah.” So words have never been his strong suit. It doesn’t matter because it makes Cyrus smile, and that’s TJ’s goal every day. 

They watch a movie, but TJ can hardly pay attention to the screen with Cyrus pressed up against him the way he is. Two hours later, he almost doesn’t realize it’s over. His arm is wrapped around Cyrus. They’re looking at each other, and really all TJ would have to do is lean down a little bit…

“So! What did you think of the movie?” TJ asks instead, looking back at the preview screen. He can’t tell if Cyrus is disappointed or not. They don’t kiss. Not on the couch, or when he walks Cyrus to the door to say goodbye.

They make the movie dates a regular thing, Saturdays of every week. They hardly have time for other people, and yet there’s still no kiss, leaving TJ to wonder when the right time will come.

TJ attends a basketball game. It’s all under the guise of keeping an eye on the competition, learning their plays and weaknesses. Which he does. When he’s not completely distracted by Cyrus on the other side of the room. He didn’t have any other plans – he and Cyrus would normally hang out together – so he figured, why not? His team might actually be impressed if they found out he was going the extra mile to learn about the only school that had managed to beat them so far. That is, if he pays attention long enough to have anything worth reporting back on.

As it stands, Cyrus is doing an extremely good job cheering for his team, and every excited chant and hip sway wipes TJ’s brain clean of any useful information he might have acquired. The time on the scoreboard keeps flying by, and before TJ can even begin to recollect his thoughts, it’s down to the last minute of the game. The score is only a couple points apart, with Cyrus’s school in the lead. All they really have to do is run out the clock and they’ll have the win. It’s a tense minute with two time-outs and a few close calls, but in the end they’re able to keep the ball. When the final buzzer sounds the two-point gap remains and the crowd erupts in screams, Cyrus included. TJ might not be super invested in the game itself, but when he sees the way Cyrus’s eyes light up, he knows he wants to be able to see it again. And next time, he wants to be the cause. 

When the chaos subsides and people start filing out of the gym, TJ wanders into the hallway. They agreed to meet here, but only after everyone was gone, and by TJ’s observation, he’d say they’re close to being the only two left. He texts Cyrus to come out of the locker room, but before he can even press send, there’s someone jumping on his back. 

“Hi,” Cyrus says, breathing into TJ’s neck, still shaking with excitement over the game. TJ attributes at least some of the excitement to himself. He lowers Cyrus down gently, turning to face him, and wow. He’s convinced he’ll never get tired of seeing Cyrus smile.

“You’re still full of energy,” TJ comments, teasing but not really as Cyrus continues jumping around.

“I can’t help it. I’ll be the first to admit that basketball can be a little boring from time to time – sometimes I feel like I’m about to fall asleep – but this game? There was just something different about it. The energy in the crowd was just so fun and it’s never felt like that before. I literally don’t know how to explain it, but I’m so happy that we won and- 

TJ doesn’t have to think (or overthink) the way he leans in. Shutting his eyes is effortless and when their lips meet it feels like second nature. 

It’s their first kiss and it’s perfect. TJ hadn’t let himself have high hopes. He knows first kisses are usually awkward, a little miscalculated and clumsy. This kiss is anything but. Cyrus links his arms behind TJ’s neck, and he can feel his skin heat up at the contact. He knows he’s never felt like this before.

It comes to an end sooner than either of them wants, though to be fair, TJ did kiss him in the middle of a long, rambling sentence. It’s them. When Cyrus opens his eyes, he smiles bigger than TJ’s ever seen before. He doesn’t even try to hide it. 

“What was that for?” 

“You were just so excited and cute. Couldn’t help myself.” 

Cyrus giggles, finally looking down at their feet.

“Remind me to do that more often.”

 


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> whoops

            It’s a mistake on both of their parts. It’s a few days after their first kiss, and both Cyrus and TJ are still basking in the feeling, smiling to themselves whenever they think about it. It’s led to more than a couple questioning glances from Cyrus’s friends, but luckily for him, no actual questions yet. He doesn’t want to test this particular theory, but he’s pretty sure he doesn’t know how to lie to his friends, especially not about anything as major as a relationship. He only needs to hold out for a few more weeks. He’s kind of positive he can make it through in one piece.

            They’re both at a charity basketball tournament, representing their teams yet again, but with less pressure this time, as they’re not up against each other, not yet, at least. Cyrus hasn’t been able to see TJ very much today, and he’s starting to feel like it’ll be like that for the entire rest of the day until a boy misses a final shot. He’d been so caught up in his own thoughts about TJ that he hadn’t even realized just how badly his team had played. When he looks up at the final score, it takes a lot of self-restraint to not physical recoil at the gap between the two numbers.

            They’re done for the day. Normally, this would mean that Cyrus gets to go home early and enjoy a Saturday with his mom and stepdad, but he can’t stop his mind from wandering automatically, searching for TJ. He heads for the locker room to change out of his uniform and soon finds where TJ is playing, trying his best to casually blend into the crowd. Although he’s typically known as the ‘cheerleader boy’ throughout the area, he’s sure he’s much less recognizable without the name of his school emblazoned across his chest. Cyrus watches for a few minutes before TJ realizes he’s there, smiling at him, but staying focused on the game.

            They end up winning, which comes as no surprise to Cyrus, considering TJ’s on the team and he scored ten points just while Cyrus was watching. There’s nothing more to do as all of the remaining teams begin packing up, and Cyrus figures it’s only a matter of time before everyone is gone, but he really wants to talk to TJ now. More than that, he wants to hug him, and kiss him, and tell him that he did a great job today. So he stands up to leave and hints, as subtly as he possibly can, for TJ to follow him. TJ gets the message and trails after a few moments later. They meet in an empty hallway, riskier and more dangerous than a few days ago, simply due to the fact that it’s not even close to being an empty building. Cyrus figures they’re both diligent enough to know if somebody’s coming, and TJ is a good enough actor to make the whole thing look inconspicuous.

            “You were so good out there,” Cyrus says, turning to face TJ with what he’s sure is the biggest smile he’s ever had.

            “Couldn’t have done it without you. Think you’re my good luck charm,” TJ responds, winding his arms around Cyrus, kissing the top of his head.

            “Hmm, I don’t think that was the case the last time I was around for one of your games…” TJ squeezes Cyrus’s sides in response to his teasing.

            “I just wasn’t prepared that time. I’m ready to go any other day now. Besides, you were the enemy back then, so it doesn’t count.”

            “Oh, so I’m no longer the enemy?”

            “Unless there’s something you’re not telling me. You were the one to suggest undercover work. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised if this is all some elaborate ruse to throw me off my game,” TJ concludes, shaking his head in mock disapproval. Cyrus shoves him lightly.

            “Well, if that were my angle, it sucks and doesn’t work at all.”

            “I mean, I wasn’t gonna say anything, but now that you brought it up…”

            Cyrus rolls his eyes, pulling TJ in for what he’s wanted this whole time. Their lips press together, and Cyrus doesn’t think he’ll ever get over the feeling, how his heart pounds and then slows into calmness as TJ holds him. It’s enough of a distraction. Too much of one, Cyrus finds when he hears a set of footsteps squeak to a halt behind him.

            “Whoa, dude…” Cyrus doesn’t recognize the voice at all but judging by the way TJ’s entire body goes stiff, he does. Cyrus fights himself on whether or not he should turn around; his curiosity telling him to look over his shoulder, but his common sense saying he should keep his face hidden if possible. As it happens, his face isn’t required to identify him in the end.

            “You couldn’t have just picked a guy from our school, Kippen?” It’s one of those questions that’s purposefully misleading; sounds like it could be a joke, but the second Cyrus turns around, he knows it’s not.

            “Come on, Mark, you just need to let me explain,” TJ pleads. It makes no sense to either of them why he sounds like a cheating boyfriend asking for forgiveness.

            “You can explain to the whole team,” Mark says, adamant and not looking at Cyrus at all if he can help it. Cyrus recalls TJ telling him that no one cared about him being gay, but he still can’t manage to shake the uncomfortable feeling that the interaction gives him. He also can’t stop the guilt gnawing at his stomach. Mark goes on for a couple minutes about the team and loyalty, but Cyrus wavers in and out, missing words.

            “Don’t you think you’re overreacting just a little? You’re acting like we’re enemy countries or something. It’s just high school basketball,” TJ says, an air of levity in his voice that makes Cyrus wince. It’s very clearly the wrong thing to say.

            “The team actually matters to some of us. I thought you of all people would understand that.”

            “The team does matter to me; how could you say that it doesn’t?”

            “You just don’t seem as dedicated as everyone else.” That one strikes a nerve. Cyrus can tell by the way TJ’s entire body stiffens beside his.

            “So, what? The other guys are allowed to have girlfriends and be committed to the team, but when I have a boyfriend it’s suddenly a problem?” TJ asks. He’s shaking, his face becoming redder with every passing second. All Cyrus wants to do is get out of there, preferably with TJ. As it stands, he isn’t even sure how this is all going to end.

            “It’s only a problem when you spend more of your time with someone on a different team when we’re trying to make it to state.”

            “He’s not even on the team!”

            “Whatever, dude.” It’s the last thing Mark says before walking away. TJ looks around, scoping out the area for any other listeners, but the hallway is empty, save for the two of them. Cyrus can’t think of anything to say, except

            “I’m sorry.” The weight of the situation finally falls on him, and he can’t stop the single tear that rolls down the side of his cheek. TJ immediately takes Cyrus into his arms, rubbing one hand over his shoulder in small, reassuring circles. Cyrus can’t help thinking he shouldn’t be the one being comforted.

            “It’s not your fault,” TJ whispers, letting out a shaky sigh. Cyrus pulls back slightly to look at him, his eyebrows pulled together.

            “It’s not your fault either.”

            “…I know.” Cyrus has a difficult time believing that.

            TJ goes the rest of the weekend without hearing anything from his teammates, even silencing their group chat, just in case Mark decides to stage his expose there. Because he’s the epitome of thoughtfulness, he waits until they all meet up for practice again.

            They rip him apart, and for the first time since he’s joined the team, he feels like crying. It isn’t life or death, but in that moment, it feels like it is.

            Word gets around pretty quickly after that (TJ kind of hates that the internet was ever invented) and eventually Cyrus sends him a text:

_team doesn’t wanna hear from me right now :(_ _don’t think i’ll go to the next game_

            TJ has a difficult time falling asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry for the angsty high school musical realness, this story is out of my hands and living its own life now.


	6. Aftermath

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> TJ thinks a lot

            TJ thinks a little more than he should when he gets home. Or a lot more. He makes the decision to avoid social media altogether when he sees how far the news has spread, including within Cyrus’s school. Whether it was criticism of both of them, jokes, or even words of support, TJ didn’t want to see any of it. It was a little difficult to look on the bright side of things when no one was supposed to know in the first place.

            TJ knows it’s a ridiculous thing to be upset about. He and Cyrus couldn’t have kept their relationship a secret forever, and TJ honestly didn’t want to. He just hadn’t given much thought to how they would actually go about announcing it to everyone. The lack of control over something that directly and intimately affected him was disorienting to say the least, and the added hostility from pretty much his entire team wasn’t really something he knew how to handle. From day one, it’s always been emphasis on having each other’s backs, but this is suddenly too much for them?

            The whole thing is stupid, TJ knows this. He just wonders if Cyrus knows that he knows. There’s just nothing he can seem to do about it because everyone else is taking it so seriously instead of just moving on like they should. He doesn’t want to lose his team – they’re not his friends, this situation has made that pretty clear – but he knows that Cyrus deserves better than this mess they’ve landed themselves in.

TJ paces back and forth in his room for twenty minutes before picking up his phone and texting Cyrus. He erases the message four times, none of the words sounding quite right, before opting for a simple “can i call you?” His worry over his choice of words turns out to be for nothing because Cyrus texts back ten minutes later saying he’s busy. He has the feeling that’s not necessarily true, but he doesn’t push Cyrus to talk. TJ normally wouldn’t want to either, but over the last couple of months Cyrus has become his first and only confidante and having no one else to turn to makes TJ feel smaller than he has in a long time. He thinks about Cyrus and his group of friends he always talks about; how despite the fact that he thinks of himself as lame and dorky people seem to flock to him. He’s probably talking to them about this right now, asking what he should do, getting advice. He wouldn’t be surprised if they told him to just forget about TJ altogether.

TJ clenches his fists, feeling his nails pressing harder and harder into the skin of his palms until his knuckles turn white. But it doesn’t matter because he cries anyway. He cries like he hasn’t in years as he realizes this might be the first time he actually loses someone important to him. He’s lost friends in the past, for various reasons, but he’s never cried over it before. He barely felt anything if he’s being honest. Now he feels like all of his happiness is steadily draining out of him and it’s gonna keep draining until he finds a way to fix everything. He takes a deep, shaky breath. No pressure.

            He thinks through the situation for the millionth time, analyzing every point, trying to figure out where it went wrong. He mostly feels terrible about the fact that he didn’t do anything to defend Cyrus. To be fair, he didn’t do much of anything, in too much shock to be able to effectively communicate, but he still thinks he should’ve said something. Anything would’ve been better than silence followed by not seeing each other.

Despite all of this, Cyrus doesn’t give him an ultimatum. Cyrus is too good for ultimatums. He just tells TJ to think, which he’s been doing a lot of already, but he gives it another try and comes to a singular conclusion.

He doesn’t love Cyrus, not yet anyway, but he could feel in the warmth of his chest that he could be headed in that direction. He’s not even sure it would take much longer. And that thought in and of itself tells him everything he needs to know: they need more time, and they might not even get it.

He’s wiping away the last of his tears when he hears footsteps approaching his room. He wonders if his mom has heard about what happened, nervous to see her reaction to so many things coming to light at once. She opens the door without knocking, an apologetic and almost pitying look on her face.

“Are you okay, sweetie?” she asks tentatively, staying in the threshold of the door, waiting for him to either pretend nothing is wrong or tell her to leave. Before he can do either she opens her mouth again.

“It’s okay if you’re not.” It’s all TJ needs for the floodgates to open up again. The moment more tears well up in his eyes, his mother is across the room, sitting beside him on the bed. It’s easier than TJ could’ve ever imagined to lean into her and just cry while she soothes him rubbing up and down his back like she did when he was five. When he’s not sniffling every three seconds, she speaks again to ask him a question.

“Is this about that cute boy who used to come around?” TJ tries not to let it show on his face how much that hurts him, that it’s only been a few days since the incident, but his mom is already referring Cyrus’s place in his life as something that used to be. He doesn’t respond, or say anything for that matter, but she pushes his hair back and kisses his temple.

“I’m sure it’ll all work out somehow,” she says before squeezing his shoulder and leaving for work. And they might just be words, but he already feels better than he has since everything went downhill. He picks up his phone again. This time, when TJ asks to meet, Cyrus says yes.

All there’s left to do is wait.

           

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> next chapter is the end! thanks for sticking with me through this one. i really started this thinking it was gonna be that first chapter and thats it. if you wanna send me fic prompts you can do so at theloniousjaggerkippen.tumblr.com!


	7. The Beginning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> TJ makes a decision

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is it, y'all! thanks for sticking it out with me!  
> send me fic prompts at theloniousjaggerkippen.tumblr.com

            They agree to meet at the park. As TJ makes his way there, he starts feeling nervous, even more nervous than he did on his first date with Cyrus. The first date was the simplest thing in the world compared to the thought of ever losing him. Now that they’ve grown closer over the past few weeks, TJ’s realized that there really isn’t anyone else in his life that understands him the way that Cyrus does. It’s more than a little nerve-wracking to think about.

            As he approaches the park, he can see Cyrus there already, sitting on a swing, but not bothering to move his legs at all. He’s looking down at the ground, either not aware that TJ is nearing or just simply choosing to ignore him. Either way, TJ decides to drag his feet a little to avoid scaring him. He sits in the swing right beside Cyrus, shifting his weight, but otherwise not moving at all. Every creak of the chains sounds too loud to his ears, accompanied by the rustling of tree branches. Despite the gentle breeze, the air feels stagnant and unsettling in comparison to how it usually feels when they’re together. TJ spends a couple minutes trying to figure out if he should say something or if he should wait for Cyrus to break the silence.

            He takes a deep breath.

            “Basketball is the only thing in my life that I’m good at,” TJ starts with, against his better judgement. It sounds a lot like he’s trying to make excuses, like he’s trying to find a way out of their relationship, which is the last thing he wants. But as the words from his teammate ring through his thoughts, he can’t help but think _yeah, the basketball team has pretty much been the only important thing in my life since I learned how to play._ And it’s true; he’s dedicated a majority of the last ten years to running up and down the court in one way or another. He’s not sure if that’s because it’s the only thing he knows how to do, or if he’s just never tried doing anything else. Just thinking about it kind of makes his heart hurt.

            Cyrus doesn’t respond, or even look at TJ, still just keeping his swing balanced with the tips of his toes. TJ wants to contribute more to the conversation, but his mind is stuck in a self-deprecating loop, and before he knows it, he’s opening his mouth again.

            “I’m not a smart guy. I’ve never gotten good grades because I barely understand what’s going on in my classes. Always passing so I stay on the team, but never anything more than that. I don’t have any friends outside of the team because I don’t even know how to talk to other people. I-”

            “If this is your way of breaking up with me can we just get it over with? I don’t really wanna drag this on for any longer than it needs to be,” Cyrus says with a tone of finality, still not making eye contact with TJ, but TJ can see the way he tries to keep a stern face. It’s almost convincing until his eyes waver and he has to blink back tears.

            TJ is actually stunned. He doesn’t want to break up; that’s the absolute last thing he wants to do right now. Maybe he should say that out loud.

            “No! No, I don’t want that,” TJ says, trying really hard to calm down, but it’s no use. He’s in full-blown panic mode and there’s very little that’s going to help bring him back from it. The stakes have never been this high before and TJ refuses to go down without a fight. But he’s really bad at this particular fight, immediately falling back into self-deprecation. He stands up from the swing.

            “I just don’t know what to do. The team means so much to me – even if it’s clear that I don’t mean as much to them. They’re all I’ve had for a majority of my life so I can’t just give up now. What else would I do? I’m a loser,” TJ says, borderline screaming as he paces back and forth in front of where Cyrus is still sitting.

            “You’re not a loser,” Cyrus counters, not even attempting to raise his voice to match TJ’s. He hasn’t moved at all, not even to follow TJ’s movements.

            TJ runs his fingers through his hair, ruining all of the work he put into it this morning, but he figures perfect hair wasn’t going to hide the fact that he’s having a mental breakdown with a side order of existential crisis. Might as well let the outside match the inside.

            “But I am! My entire personality revolves around a stupid sport, and the worst part is that three months ago I wouldn’t have even been able to call it a stupid sport. So yeah, if it weren’t for my ability to throw a dumb ball, I would be no one.”

            “No, you wouldn’t,” Cyrus says, finally standing up and looking him in the eye, angrier than TJ has ever seen him before. He isn’t ashamed to admit that it’s kind of scary. Like just a little bit. TJ is so shocked by the definitiveness of the statement that Cyrus plows on easily, getting closer to him with every word.

            “You _are_ smart, and I don’t care what you say. Your grades aren’t bad, and even if they were, grades are not indicative of intelligence. You wrote that poem for your English class and it was incredible!”

            “It wasn’t that-”

            “It was. And I’m not finished, by the way,” Cyrus says, giving his approximation of a glare. “It’s not just school. You made an actual meal for the first time in your life and it was amazing-”

            “To be fair, you helped me with that-”

            “I stood around and offered moral support! I didn’t even taste test for you. You did all of that yourself and it was impressive.”

            “Guess I got lucky,” TJ mumbles passively, more as an aside to himself than anything. Cyrus looks like he’s ready to throttle him.

            “Can you stop putting yourself down and let me finish saying what I need to say?” Cyrus asks, voice cracking awkwardly right in the middle. It’s enough to make TJ bite his tongue.

            “You’re an amazingly sweet guy who planned out literally all of our dates. You always asked if I was having a good time, which I was. You know how to make me smile like no one else does. And you might not think any of that’s cool or important, but I do. These are the things about you that I fell in love with, not the fact that you’re a basketball player,” Cyrus says all of this with a blush covering his entire face, getting darker and even travelling down his neck towards the end. “Though that certainly was a nice touch. You do look very cute in your jersey.”

            To say that TJ is speechless is perhaps the understatement of the century. Maybe even the millennium. Nobody has ever laid out their feelings to him like that before. Nobody has ever bothered to be vulnerable around him, but now that somebody has, and that somebody is Cyrus, he never wants that warm feeling to go away. For the first time in his life, TJ feels important as a person; not just as a family member or a teammate. He could almost cry at how overwhelmed he is.

            “I love you,” TJ says, then immediately feels himself beginning to backtrack. “Not just like, you know, but like, I’ve never had a friend like you and just… thank you. For being here for me.” He can feel a few beads of sweat forming on the back of his neck as he struggles for words that sound less… heavy. Cyrus takes both of his hands, the tiniest hint of a smile on his face.

            “It’s only been a couple months, and it’s been more than a little crazy at times, but I love you too,” Cyrus responds in a soft voice, breathing out as soon as he finishes.

            They literally just stand there. Looking at each other in a mixture of elation and disbelief until another thought crosses TJ’s mind.

            “I have no idea what the team is gonna say when they find out we’re still together.”

            “Personally, I think they overreacted. Like a lot. So I would kind of like to see their reaction to your defiance. Maybe their brains’ll start melting out of their ears.” TJ’s face crinkles in slight disgust at that mental image.

            “Here’s hoping that doesn’t happen. Though it will be hilarious to piss them off again. I’ll actually get to enjoy it this time. It feels good knowing the stakes have definitely been lowered,” TJ says confidently. Cyrus raises his eyebrows.

            “You mean there’s more to life than high school sports? Who would’ve known?” Cyrus asks, purposely obnoxious. TJ squints his eyes at him.

            “Can you like, shut up?”

            “No, I don’t think so.” Cyrus is smiling smugly. TJ fake glares at him and begins walking in the direction of his house, one of Cyrus’s hands still gripped tightly in his own.

            “You’re lucky you’re cute.”

            “I know!”

            When they get back to TJ’s house, his mom is sitting in the living room. They’re still holding hands and TJ figures there’s no time better than now to just get it out in the open.

            “Hi, mom. This is my boyfriend, Cyrus,” he says, lifting up their joined hands to wave. He can feel the way Cyrus tenses, squeezing his hand harder. His worry is all for nothing though, and TJ knows it.

            “Hi, TJ’s boyfriend, Cyrus. Are you staying for dinner?”

            And it’s that simple.

            TJ plays in their final game. It’s the state championship, and they actually win. TJ isn’t that surprised, but to be fair he’s not really feeling anything. If anyone had asked him a year ago how he’d react to crushing the state championship, he doesn’t think he’d react with a shrug of his shoulders, but that’s where he is now. His team continued being a bunch of irreconcilable jerks for the rest of their practices – despite the fact that they never lost another game, and they literally had no reason to be mad at him – so much so that he didn’t even bother to tell them that he wouldn’t be coming back next season. He figured they wouldn’t care enough to even listen.

            So they won, and despite his own lack of enthusiasm, Cyrus runs down the bleachers (making TJ thoroughly anxious the entire time) and right into the middle of the court, jumping into his arms.

            “I knew you could do it!” he yells over the roar of the crowd, just narrowly avoiding being cut off by TJ kissing him. There are no reactions from the people around them. It’s almost like they don’t exist, and TJ never thought he’d be so happy to be invisible.

\---

            Cyrus quits the cheerleading team, too, ultimately not attached enough to give up time he could be spending doing new things with TJ.

            “I don’t know how they’ll go on without me. I was clearly the most talented person on the whole squad,” Cyrus says, sitting at the table doing a crossword puzzle while TJ tries to make pancakes. TJ rolls his eyes lovingly.

            “You’re right. I don’t know how they’re ever gonna replace you,” TJ responds, ladling batter into the pan, trying to create circles but ending up with blobs. He shrugs. There are a lot of things that TJ is good at, like coming up with the words in the puzzle that Cyrus can’t figure out. Maybe pancakes just won’t be one of those things.

            “I need help again,” Cyrus whines, putting his pen down and waiting for TJ to walk over because TJ would be kidding himself if he thought he wouldn’t do anything Cyrus asked for.

            “What’s the clue?”

            “Word for ‘adorable’.” TJ picks up the book and looks around at the blank spots.

            “I don’t see it on here,” TJ mumbles, looking back over it again, just to see if he missed anything.

            “It’s because it’s not on there and I’m talking about you, silly.” Cyrus takes the book out of TJ’s hands, closing it and putting it down on the table before taking TJ’s hands and pulling him down into a kiss. TJ isn’t complaining, even if his face is burning hot. He doesn’t think he’s going to get used to Cyrus complimenting him any time soon.

            When they part, Cyrus sniffs the air.

            “What is that?” Once TJ has gotten back to his own head, it hits him.

            “The pancakes!” He runs to the stove but it’s too late. There’s a layer of batter that’s burned onto the pan and it’s not going to come off without a fight.

            “This is your fault,” he says to Cyrus, pointing with the pan.

            “Mine?” Cyrus asks, immediately pouting. TJ is not going to fall for that again.

            “Yes! You distracted me!”

            “Well, maybe you should work on not being so easily distracted.” The statement brings TJ back to when they first met, and he realizes not much has changed. And yet, _everything_ has changed.

 TJ chases Cyrus through the living room and it only takes a few seconds for him to catch him, tackling him onto the couch.

“Okay, okay, _you_ burning the pancakes was all _my_ fault. I give up.”

            So maybe cooking wasn’t going to be one of his things after all, but they have plenty of time to find out what is.

**Author's Note:**

> i kinda had a lot of fun writing this and was thinking about continuing it so pls let me know if you're interested!  
> follow me at jockgaytj.tumblr.com!


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